A regional daily’s website posted a ‘homeowners guide’ to property laws, quoting legislation which it later conceded did not exist.
The Hull Daily Mail published an online article last August headlined “Five common property laws you might be unknowingly breaking – and they could land you with a fine.”
Among the ‘laws’ quoted was the Street Naming and Numbering Regulation 1999, which according to the piece required homeowners to ensure their house number is clearly visible.
However following a complaint to the press watchdog, the Mail published a correction conceding that this piece of legislation does not in fact exist.
Reader Ben Munro complained to the Independent Press Standards Organisation that the article breached Clause 1 of the Editor’s Code, which covers accuracy.
In his complaint, he said he believed the article, which was republished by a number of the Mail’s sister titles at Reach, had been generated by AI.
The original article appeared on 16 August 2024 under the sub-headline: “Failing to keep on top of ‘house admin’ can have unexpected consequences”.
It warned: “From an unkempt garden to not displaying your house number, there are numerous property laws that, if violated, can result in hefty fines”.
It then listed a series of such laws, including the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976 which it said obliges homeowners to maintain their gardens in good condition on pain of a £400 fine.
It also reported that under the Housing Act 2004 mandates householders to repair cracks in the wall or risk a fine of up to £30,000.
Finally the article reported: “Under the Street Naming and Numbering Regulation 1999, homeowners are obliged to ensure their house number is clearly visible. Failing to comply with this regulation can result in a fine of up to £500.
“House numbers are crucial for delivery personnel and public service officials to identify homes correctly. It helps avoid confusion and is vital for emergency workers should they need to locate your property”.
In his complaint, Mr Munro said that the article was inaccurate in breach of Clause 1 on three counts.
Firstly, he said that the “Street Naming and Numbering Regulation 1999” did not exist, and that the accompanying section, which he believed was AI-generated, was therefore inaccurate.
Secondly he said that the piece’s mention of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 was inaccurate as issues such as untidy gardens fall under different legislation, such as the Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Finally he said the reference to the Housing Act 2004 and repairing cracks only applied to cases involving landlords renting out properties where a Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) assessment is required.
After being notified of the complaint, the Mail accepted that parts of the original article were inaccurate and made a number of amendments, including removing the reference to not displaying your house number.
It also added a footnote correction to the article, which read: “A previous version of this article reported that failure to display your house number clearly could result in a £500 under the Street Naming and Numbering Regulation 1999. In fact, this legislation does not exist.
“Although it is not clear if there is a legal obligation to display a house number clearly, house numbers are crucial for delivery personnel and public service officials to identify homes correctly and is vital for emergency workers should they need to locate your property.
“The article also incorrectly reported that an untidy garden falls under the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976. In fact, this falls under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. We are happy to clarify this and the article has been amended accordingly.”
The Mail said the information had been found online, and had been published in good faith.
But after IPSO began its investigation it offered to remove the article in full, and publish the following standalone correction.
“Our article headlined “Five common property laws you might be unknowingly breaking – and they could land you with a fine” 16 August, incorrectly reported that “failure to display your house number clearly could result in a £500 under the Street Naming and Numbering Regulation 1999.” In fact, this legislation does not exist.
“Although it is not clear if there is a legal obligation to display a house number clearly, house numbers are crucial for delivery personnel and public service officials to identify homes correctly and is vital for emergency workers should they need to locate your property.
“The article also incorrectly reported that an untidy garden and overflowing bins falls under the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976 and could result in a fine.
“We would like to clarify that the Local Government Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1976 does not cover such issues, and that an untidy garden falls under the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The article since been removed.”
In response, Mr Munro requested the removal of all versions of the article, including those run by different newspapers in the Reach portfolio. The Mail agreed and the articles in question were removed on 20 December.
As the complaint was successfully mediated, the Complaints Committee did not make a determination as to whether there had been any breach of the Code. A full resolution statement can be read here.
